Folding drainboard



July 16, 1940.

Filed Dec. 30, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l I i -/9 E j 5 I if L ,Wi My j I Z] i f] I hr 10/ 7 23 25 WW c/ zveizzor' 77 fl w 1 y 1940- H. w. ALTORFER 2,208,109

FOLDING DRAINBOARD Filed Dec. 30, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll Patented 'Jul y '16, 19 40 UNlTED srA Es PATENT. OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved drainboard structure for domestic washing machine wringers.

Wringers are notorious dust catchers, and one of thefirst chores for the. careful laundress is to carefully clean'the wringers and rolls.

The growing practice of decorating and furnishing basements for recreation rooms has led.

to more attention to the general appearance of the laundry room and the laundry equipment. This has been reflected by a desire to improve the general appearance and utility of washing machines.

Also there has been a growing tendency to place the laundry equipment upstairs, as in kitchens, and this has created a demand for better or more appropriate appearance as grouped with other kitchen equipment, such as cabinets, refrigerators, sinks, etc.

It will be obvious that the wringer, projecting as it does above the top of the niachinashould be removed.

The particular object of the invention is to provide an improved drainboard which will fold upward to enclose the rolls within the frame of the wringer and thus prevent the roll from be coming soiled from dust and the like.

Another object is to provide a folding drainboard structure that will greatly decrease the bulk of the wringer so that it will clear the top of the washer to enableit to be used as a table top and generally to enhance the appearance of the machine when not in use.

And a still further object is to reduce the bulk of the wringer to a comparatively narrow, flat shape so as to facilitate its removal from the machine and its storage in limited space and thus leave the washer free of any wringer obstruction.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the accompanying descriptions and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation View of the wringer with the drainboards in closeed or folded position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation view of the wringer as it would appear on the section lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 withone drainboard closed or folded and the other drainboard .open or extended;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional plan view of the wringer as sho'wnin Fig. 2, as it would appear on the section lines I-.3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the drainboards to better show its structure.

Now referring to Fig. 1, I show a modernized wringer structure wherein the numeral l designates the lower frame which extends and completely encloses the wringer head. The upper frame extends over and for the full length of the ,lower frame. On the upper frame H is '5 mounted a safety release lever l2, and on the right hand end of the lower frame is a wringer head control handle I3. A pressure reset handle I4 is mounted on the opposite end of the lower frame. Directly under the wringer head is a pivot post l5 adapted to be inserted in a wringer support tube mounted in the frame of the washer. Extending from the pivot post I5 is a drive shaft IS in which is inserted a drive pin l1 adapted to be engaged by a drive coupling in the wringer tube.

Now referring to Fig. 2, the drainboard 2| is pivotally mounted on a pin '22 in the lower frame and a clothes shield 23 is pivotally mounted on the drainboard 2| by a pin 24. This shield 23 is urged to counter-clockwise rotation by a torsion spring 25, as shown. The clothes shield 23 thus urged by the spring 25 bears against the end shields 20 at the notch 23', as best shown in Fig.

3. It will be obvious that as the drainboard 2| 25 is moved upward to enclose the rolls l8 and IS, the clothes shield 23 will slide upward against the end shield 2!), assuming the position asshown on the left hand side of Fig. 2. It will be obvious that by this structure Water drained from the rolls l8 and I!) will be deflected by the flipper board 26 onto the drainboard 2|.

Now referring to Fig. 3, a sliding bar latch 28 is mounted in the lower frame and urged out- Ward by a compression spring 30. This latch is 5 controlled by a. finger button 29 in order that it may be retracted from the notch 28' of the drainboard 2|, in order to permit the drainboard 2| to be folded upward into closed position as shown in the left hand side of Fig. 2. A detent embossment 3| is put in the sides of the drainboard 2| in order to hold the drainboard firmly in closed position.

It will be noted that in Fig. 4, wherein the drainboard 2| is shown in an enlarged isometric view, that certain of the elements in the structure are not needed, for instance one of the notches 28'. In explanation of this it will be stated that this is done to avoid multiplicity of parts and in order to make the drainboard 2| 5O suitable for mounting on both sides of the wringer. Otherwise the holes 22' and 24' are used for mounting the pins 22 and 24, respectively. The embossed detents 3| are on both ends of the drainboard.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the drainboards can be lowered to open position as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 2 where they are held firmly in position by the latch 28. In this position the water from the rolls l8 and I9 is deflected by the flipper board 26 onto the drainboard 2|, the transfer being positively made by the cooperating lips 2| and 26'. Further, the drainboard can be raised to closed position, as shown in the left hand side of Fig. 2, by releasing the latch 28 by means of the button 29 where they are firmly held in closed position by the detents 3|. tion it will be obvious that the rolls and drainboards are completely protected against dust and the wringer has been folded into a compact, flat shape whereby it can be easily handled and stored.

Having thus described my invention, I claim; 1. In a wringer for a domestic clothes washer,

lower and upper frames, a pair of cooperative pressure rolls, a pair of roll end shields, drainboards pivotally mounted in side openings of the lower frame, inwardly inclined clothes shields pivotally mounted longitudinally on the drainboards adjacent the lower roll, said clothes In this closed posi- 2,208,109 r V shields being spring urged into contact with the roll end shields, detents on the drainboards to hold same firmly in closed position in the drain openings and releasable spring latches to hold the drainboards in lowered or open position.

2. In a wringer for a domestic clothes washer, lower and upper frames, a pair of cooperative pressure rolls, side openings in said frames exposing the rolls, drainboards pivotally mounted in said openings, inwardly inclined longitudinal clothes shields pivotally mounted and springtorsioned inward on said boards, and detent means to lock the drainboards in lowered, open position and lock means to retain them in closed, folded position.

3. In-a wringer for a domestic clothes washer, lower and upper frames, a pair of cooperative pressure rolls, side'openings in said frames exposing the rolls,'drainboards pivotally mounted "in said openings, inclined clothes shields on said boards pivotally mounted and spring-torsioned inward adjacent the lower roll, and means to lock the drainboards in lowered, open position and means to retain them in closed, folded posi-' tion.

HENRY W. ALTORFER. 

